Smart electric meters have emerged as the most visible technology of the major
modernization of the global electricity infrastructure known as the smart
grid. Smart meters and advanced metering infrastructure (AMI), terms often
used synonymously, integrate embedded computing and two-way communications to
transform meters from simple manual recording instruments into highly
intelligent devices serving increasingly broad roles within the electricity
infrastructure. Smart meters have transformed a placid, 140-year old,
low-innovation electricity metering market into a high-tech, high-growth
juggernaut. In 2008, less than 4% of the global installed base of 1.5 billion
electricity meters could be considered “smart” but 4 years later
this penetration will have grown to over 18%, and is forecast to exceed 55% by
2020.

Such ongoing growth continues to offer unprecedented opportunities for a broad
spectrum of suppliers. However, the smart meter market is exceptionally local,
with different drivers, regulatory environments, favored technologies,
standards, value and supply chains, and especially, market timing. Most
importantly, the smart meter boom is a limited-time opportunity within each
region. As anticipated in earlier Pike Research smart meter forecasts, the
North American market has already peaked, and faces dramatic near-term
contraction, just as the European market begins a similarly dramatic growth
period. The Asia Pacific region will continue to outpace all other regions
driven by major deployments in China, utilizing a different breed of smart
meter technology. The global smart meter market is forecast to experience a
modest 4.9% CAGR between 2010 and 2010, but hidden beneath seemingly steady
growth are significant regional peaks and valleys, each with their own
opportunities and risks. Suppliers seeking to profit from the unique smart
meter upgrade cycle must understand the associated technology, standards, and
market dynamics behind this regional diversity.

This Pike Research report examines global and regional smart meter market
trends, details neighborhood-area and home-area communications technologies
and standards, defines and segments various smart meter capabilities, and
provides detailed market sizing and forecasts by technology, utility type, and
world region for the period from 2010 through 2020. Key vendors, standards,
and deployments are profiled, offering a comprehensive window into the dynamic
market for smart metering.

Key Questions Addressed:

Where and when have smart meter unit shipments peaked, or will peak in the
future?

What are the key smart meter communications technologies, and how will
they evolve?

How do smart meter and AMI technologies differ around the world?

Which AMI communications technologies (public and private) will lead in
each region?

How, when, and which home area networking technologies be deployed in
smart meters?

What are the key policy, technology, and economic risks impacting the
smart meter market evolution?